Music News

Bloc Party's Kele Okereke wants to see Azealia Banks succeed.
The lead singer and guitarist for 'The Prayer' hitmakers has admitted that although the '212' rapper has alienated a lot of her fans by claiming she's desperate to leave her record label and starting arguments with other artists such as Lily Allen, he is still hoping she will turn it around and succeed in the music industry.
Writing for Noisey magazine, he said: "It seems like nobody is rooting for her. But I am.
"There is still something about this girl that I dig: the early Vogue culture references in her music, the dexterity of her wordplay and, most of all, her attitude."
Azealia - who won the best single prize at the Urban Music Awards in 2012 for her debut track - promised fans she would leak her first full album 'Broke With Expensive Taste' on April 15, however she has so far yet to do so.
Kele, 32, hopes that when the 22-year-old rapper's album is finally released, it will take the pressure off of her so that she can focus on more new material.
He said: "Azealia Banks is in her own lane right now, her music still sounds like nothing else.
"So if you are reading this babes: get this record out, make these summer shows the best they can be and then get your head down and start again from scratch.
"Don't lose your heart, you still have it in you."

Janelle Monae felt "connected" to Lauryn Hill.
The R&B and soul singer was inspired by The Fugees hitmaker because her values were "so different" to a lot of other artists who were starting out in music.
She told NME magazine: "I felt connected to her ... she let me know that being an artist wasn't about trying to fit in, or cultivating a sound that someone else had - it's about embracing the things that make you who you are. You use music as your vehicle to reach the people you feel need to hear your message."
The 'Tightrope' singer, 28, fell in love with the star's 1998 album 'The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill' and it's title track and describes her as "innovative", an artist whose music encouraged her to be "unique".
She explained: "There was already a Lauryn Hill, there was already an Erykah Badu - there was not a Janelle Monae. They inspired me to create my own lane.
"I moved straight to New York and got accepted into a music and dramatics academy, and there were dreams that I had. I was from one of the poorest countries, and when I would sing that song it made me believe in myself."

AC/DC's Brian Johnson has slammed claims the band are set to retire.
The frontman, whose band mate Malcolm Young, one of the founding members of the group, is said to be "seriously ill", has rubbished rumours the Australian rock group will soon split and insists they want to make new music.
He told telegraph.co.uk: "We are definitely getting together in May in Vancouver.
"We're going to pick up some guitars, have a plonk, and see if anybody has got any tunes or ideas. If anything happens, we'll record it."
The singer confirmed that one member of the band - thought to be rhythm guitarist Malcolm, the older brother of lead guitarist Angus Young - has been ill, but said that his condition wouldn't necessarily mean the band would stop touring and recording.
He said: "I wouldn't like to say anything either way about the future. I'm not ruling anything out. One of the boys has a debilitating illness, but I don't want to say too much about it.
"He is very proud and private, a wonderful chap. We've been pals for 35 years and I look up to him very much."
AC/DC, also made up of bassist Cliff Williams and drummer Phil Rudd, are planning a tour to mark their 40th anniversary and Brian previously said he would like the band to play 40 concerts in 40 different venues.
He said: "That would be a wonderful way to say bye bye. We would love to do it," adding," But it's all up in the air at the moment."
Meanwhile, Choirboys frontman Mark Gable, who is close friends with Malcolm, 66, told Australia's ABC radio the musician is too sick to perform live again.
He said: "It's not just that he is unwell, it's that it is quite serious. It will constitute that he definitely won't be able to perform live.
"He will probably not be able to record."

Jason Derulo made his latest album for "selfish reasons".
The American singer released his reissued third album 'Talk Dirty' this week, after a career set back when he suffered a neck injury onstage in 2012 and he thinks his new record helped his recovery.
He told the US edition of OK! Magazine: "I think it's [the album] more of a representation of who I am as a person.
"I love to have a good time. I made this album for selfish reasons. I was trying to get myself out of a rut so I wasn't doing it for anyone else, it was me just trying to get myself out of a dark place because of the injury I had.
"It wasn't about writing a hit album, it wasn't about writing a hit song, but it was about making myself feel good and in the end I got an album that you can get to know me better on. That's what I'm excited about. A lot of people have heard the hit songs but who is Jason Derulo?"
The 24-year-old star has worked with a number of big names, including long-term girlfriend Jordin Sparks, Snoop Lion and 2 Chainz and he's pleased with how the record turned out.
He said: "Everything happened organically. Like with the song 'Wiggle' I was like, 'It would be so dope if Snoop was on the track.'
"Then I saw him at the All-Star game and I was like, 'I have this track I want you to hear.' He was like, 'Oh, man, this is crazy. I'll send it back to you within 48 hours.' It all happens differently."
Discussing working with Jordin, he revealed the pair recorded six different songs before they settled on the track 'Vertigo'.
"When I wrote 'Vertigo' I knew it was it. It's just us and the piano so the emotion really comes to life."

Lady Gaga's fans will be situated under the stage on her forthcoming tour.
The eccentric singer is preparing to take her 'artRAVE: The ARTPOP Ball' on the road, and the shows will take place on a transparent platform that will "engulf" the audience and allow them to look at the performance from an unusual angle, with some extra-special seats available for some lucky concert-goers.
She said: "I'm really excited for a big, huge, clear stage. ..
"It's like a big party, so sort of like, the stage is these huge panels [that] really engulf the whole audience to the centre of the arena. But they also have space underneath them for you to walk, so you can look up underneath the stage at the dancers and me. There's a VIP area for special fans who've got tickets to sit inside the stage and have their own bar. It's all really fun and it's a big art rave."
And the 'Born This Way' star joked she will be packing plenty of underwear to ensure her modesty is protected.
Speaking to BBC Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills, she added: "Yes, I do have panties, yes. I have more panties than clothes probably."

Peter Gabriel has hinted at a possible Genesis reunion.
The 64-year-old singer, who hasn't performed with the band since 1982, believes there's a "small chance" he could reform with the group as the frontman in the future.
Speaking to Rolling Stone magazine, he said: "I never say never. It really didn't happen last time. I think there's a small chance, but I don't think it's very high."
Meanwhile, Peter is currently working on first studio album of original songs since his 2002 record hit 'Up', but he admits the process has been slow as he gets "distracted" easily.
When asked how his album is going, he explained: "Slowly, as it usually goes for me. I get distracted. But I have technology and a few benefit projects at the moment that keep me going. I'm itching to get back to more writing."
Last week, the veteran singer was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Brooklyn, New York, and he believes receiving awards forces him to think back on his past.
He explained: "Getting awards is nature's way of saying you're getting old, so you can get a little more reflective. There are very few good things about getting old except you care less about what people think."

AC/DC's Malcolm Young is "too sick" to perform live with the band anymore.
The 61-year-old guitarist, who founded the Australian rock group with his brother Angus in the 1970s, is said to be seriously ill, sparking rumours the band could split after 41 years.
In an interview with Australia's ABC radio, Choirboys frontman Mark Gable, who is close friends with Malcolm and Angus, said: "From what I understand, and it's even been confirmed in part by his son Ross, that it would appear Malcolm is unable to perform anymore
"It's not just that he is unwell, it's that it is quite serious. It will constitute that he definitely won't be able to perform live.
"He will probably not be able to record."
He claims the band could still continue with plans for their 40th anniversary world tour and go on to record their first album since 2008's 'Black Ice' without Malcolm, after his nephew Stevie took his place during a past tour.
Mark explained: "There was speculation that they had this even tacit agreement that if no member currently was able to perform, DC would cease.
"However, Alex Young's son Stevie replaced Malcolm Young a few years back for a tour, and nobody knew the difference."
Mark has been close friends with AC/DC, also made up of singer Brian Johnson, bassist Cliff Williams and drummer Phil Rudd, for a number of years after the Choirboys recording their first album in the same studio where the 'Whole Lotta Rosie' hitmakers worked on their first five records.
Regarding a world tour, Brian previously said: "It's been 40 years of the band's existence, so I think we're gonna try to do 40 gigs, 40 shows, to thank the fans for their undying loyalty."
The rock legends were also due to head back into the studio next month.

Beyoncé and Jay Z are reportedly planning a joint tour.
The 'XO' singer and her 'Holy Grail' rapper husband are said to be getting ready to announce that they will be doing a joint tour of the United States after making a number of surprise appearances at each other's gigs, according to the New York Post newspaper's Page Six.
The couple - who recently wrapped on their own individual tours, with Jay performing 52 dates in support of his 'Magna Carta...Holy Grail' album and Beyoncé concluding her 'Mrs. Carter Show' world tour last month - are expected to play at 20 stadiums across the US this summer with a New York date of July 4.
Beyoncé, 32, and Jay Z, 44, have performed their hit single 'Drunk in Love' at a number of high-profile events including the Grammy Awards, a Super Bowl party and one of Beyoncé's O2 Arena gigs in London, in recent months.
The hip-hop pairing - who have 2-year-old daughter Blue Ivy together - also took to the stage individually at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California at the weekend with Beyoncé joining her sister Solange for a surprise rendition of 'Losing You' while Jay performed alongside fellow rappers Nas and Diddy.

DJ Cassidy was determined to get Jessie J to perform on his debut single because of her "electric" personality.
The DJ-and-producer has recruited a number of stars for his debut album 'Paradise Royale', including R. Kelly and John Legend, but he was desperate to get Jessie to provide vocals on 'Calling All Hearts' after being introduced to her by songwriter Claude Kelley.
He exclusively told BANG Showbiz: "Claude obviously has worked with Jessie his whole career and had many number one records with her.
"He always said to me, 'We need to get Jessie,' and he was dead on. Her voice is so uniquely powerful and uniquely soulful and her personality is just electric and she just lifted this song up."
Cassidy finally got to pitch his idea to Jessie, whilst she was eating a sandwich during a break in the recording sessions for her last album 'Alive'.
He said: "When she came to New York to finish her album with Claude, Claude said come to the studio, we're having lunch, it's the perfect time to pitch. I ran to the studio and whilst she was eating her sandwich, I pitched her the project."
Jessie was so excited by the track - which also has Nile Rodgers on guitar - that she insisted they record it straight away.
Cassidy - who has deejayed for some of the world's most famous and important people, including President Barack Obama, Jennifer Lopez and at the wedding of Jay Z and Beyonce - added: "I played her the demo of 'Calling All Hearts' and she said, 'I want to record it right now. Two hours later, the song was done."
'Calling All Hearts' also features Robin Thicke on vocals and the 'Blurred Lines' hitmaker was just as keen as Jessie to get on board with the project once he heard the song.
Cassidy revealed: "I'm playing Andre Harrell, legendary R&B mogul, my album and he says, 'How come Robin's not on this f***ing album?'. And I said, 'Well, I first played some tracks for Robin when I started and he had sketched out some things which never panned out.' He said, 'I'm calling Robin right now; he happens to be in New York.' So he calls Robin and at one in the morning I go to the hotel and I play Robin my album. I get about halfway through before I play 'Calling All Hearts', after one verse, he stops it and says, 'I'm recording this song with her.' Next day, he flew to LA and recorded the song."
'Calling All Hearts' is available to download from this Sunday (20.04.14).